S1: How does a girl born into a militantly Muslim nation
S1: like Iran find Christ as Savior? How was she then
S1: perceived by her family, her culture? And how do you
S1: get discipled in a land where owning or distributing Bibles
S1: is illegal? Join us for a truly epic story. That's next. Hey,
S1: welcome to the land and the book. Our team joins
S1: you every week for a one hour flyover of the
S1: Middle East, leading that team doctor, Charlie Dyer. I'm John Jaeger,
S1: and in the control room, Dan Anderson. And now that
S1: you're here, well, you're part of that team, too. And
S1: because you're part of that team, maybe you wonder, how
S1: do I share the gospel with my Jewish friend? It's
S1: a good question that many people ask. And the question
S1: recognizes the fact that there really is a need for
S1: a sensitive approach to sharing with Jewish people. Right, Charlie?
S2: That's right. John. And that's why our friends at Life
S2: in Messiah want to help answer that question. They put
S2: together a series of helpful articles on how you can
S2: share the good news with Jewish people around you. You'll
S2: learn about Jewish cultural sensitivities, how anti-Semitism affects Jewish evangelism,
S2: the importance of messianic prophecy, and more. To access the articles,
S2: visit Life in Messiah. Org click on the Moody Radio
S2: logo and sign up. You will receive the articles to
S2: equip you with practical ways to share the good News
S2: with Jewish people around you or online. Again, click on
S2: the Moody Radio icon at Life in Messiah org.
S1: Well, last week, the International Court of Justice issued its
S1: ruling on the charge that Israel is committing genocide in
S1: its war against Hamas. What did the court decide and
S1: what happens next?
S2: Well, the decision basically told Israel to prevent genocide, but
S2: didn't order an end to the war with Hamas. The
S2: court said there was plausibility to South Africa's claims, and
S2: that some of Israel's actions could potentially fall within the
S2: terms of the Genocide Convention. But they didn't take the
S2: action actually sought by South Africa, which was to order
S2: an immediate and unilateral ceasefire and they didn't use the
S2: word desist in any of the rulings, which would have
S2: suggested they were convinced genocide was actively taking place. Now,
S2: they also issued a statement calling for the immediate and
S2: unconditional release of the hostages still being held in response
S2: to the ruling. The United States said it believes the
S2: allegations of genocide are unfounded, and the UK said it
S2: has considerable concerns with the ruling. Now in terms of
S2: what happens next. Israel has 30 days to address the
S2: concerns raised by the court and to make sure sufficient
S2: aid is making its way into Gaza. At the same time,
S2: they can also continue to push forward against Hamas. Now,
S2: the court could take months to render a final decision.
S2: So this drama will continue to play out for some time.
S2: But basically, Israel came out as well as could be
S2: expected given the PR war being waged against them right now.
S1: Charlie, had the verdict been otherwise, what does South Africa
S1: get out of this, other than a certain smug standing,
S1: you know, amongst other nations of the world?
S2: That's it. And South Africa was hoping to lead the
S2: nations of the world, basically to ostracize and condemn Israel.
S2: So it could have been very difficult on Israel in
S2: terms of facing other nations, but thankfully that didn't happen.
S1: Well, the war in Gaza continues as Israeli forces tighten
S1: their grip on the southern part of the area. What
S1: has been happening, Charlie? And is there any sign of
S1: an end to the conflict or a reduction in the tension?
S2: Well, a number of proposals have been offered to release
S2: the hostages and end the fighting, but so far no
S2: agreements been reached. Most involve a temporary ceasefire, followed by
S2: a staged release of both hostages and some terrorists in
S2: Israeli prisons. Some suggest this could then be followed by
S2: a permanent ceasefire and eventually the establishment of a Palestinian state.
S2: A temporary ceasefire and hostage release might be possible, but
S2: there are several problems in trying to get an agreement
S2: on a long term solution. Hamas leadership has said it
S2: will not recognise Israel or agree to a peace treaty
S2: with them, and Israel has said it won't allow Hamas
S2: to remain in control of Gaza or be part of
S2: any future Palestinian government. And Netanyahu is even concerned about
S2: having a Palestinian state at some point. Israel's also lost
S2: faith in the Palestinian Authority and its leadership. Meanwhile, the
S2: US and a number of other countries temporarily halted funding
S2: to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the
S2: Palestinian Refugees when it was discovered that several workers participated
S2: in the October 7th Hamas attack, while Israel's fight with
S2: Hamas continues. It also has its eyes fixed on Hezbollah
S2: to the north. Israel has doubled the number of troops
S2: stationed along the northern border and completed training exercises for them,
S2: focusing on urban warfare and fighting in winter weather conditions.
S2: The standoff up there continues, and the hope is that
S2: the troop buildup, the strong response to Hezbollah's attacks, and
S2: the example of what happened. Hamas in Gaza will cause
S2: Hezbollah to back off on their threats. Israel's goal is
S2: to safely allow those Israelis from the north who've been
S2: displaced to return home, hopefully without having to launch another
S2: war against Hezbollah.
S1: Charlie, back to this issue of the hostages, how likely
S1: is it that the real issue is so many of
S1: them are either dead or questionable, that were that to
S1: come to surface, this would be a real problem for
S1: Hamas and for the whole situation.
S2: Uh, I think the real issue for Hamas, they they
S2: don't care what Israel thinks. Their main goal is to
S2: keep those hostages as long as possible, because the hostages
S2: are what are keeping Israel from trying to go after
S2: the leadership. Uh, they know the leadership are surrounded by hostages,
S2: and whatever hostages are alive will probably be killed at
S2: that point. So they're the bargaining chip, and Hamas is
S2: going to keep them around as long as possible. Certainly, uh,
S2: when the rest of the hostages are released. Uh, additional
S2: information on the atrocities committed by Hamas will come out.
S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book.
S1: Our opening segment brings you current events from the Middle East.
S1: Our host, Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. While the world
S1: has been focused on Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis,
S1: another potential conflict is beginning to unfold in Syria and
S1: Iraq as the US explores removing its forces from the region.
S1: What exactly is happening and why?
S2: Yeah, just about the time we say, man, it can't
S2: get any worse. It does. This story illustrates the complexity
S2: of the Middle East and the danger of unintended consequences.
S2: There have been more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces
S2: in Iraq and Syria since October 7th and last weekend,
S2: a drone attack on U.S. forces in the northern tip
S2: of Jordan killed several soldiers and wounded many others. The
S2: drones were launched by Iranian backed forces in either Iraq
S2: or Syria. Prior to this attack, we had already started
S2: discussions with Iraq on the phased reduction of forces from
S2: that country. Currently, we have about 2500 troops still in Iraq,
S2: helping to prevent a resurgence of ISIS. And the situation
S2: in Syria and Jordan is more complex. We have 900
S2: troops in Syria helping to contain a still ongoing threat
S2: from ISIS there, and another 3000 in Jordan serving as advisors. Now,
S2: that might seem like a small number of troops in
S2: these countries, but they've helped stem the growth of both
S2: Shiite and Sunni fundamentalist groups. The problem is that both
S2: Iran and ISIS are working to strengthen their presence in
S2: those countries. In Syria alone there, there are still 10,000
S2: battle hardened ISIS militants detained in prisons, with an additional
S2: 50,000 women and children held in security camps. And Iran
S2: continues to strengthen its Shiite allies in those countries to
S2: expand their reach toward the Mediterranean. So what happens if
S2: our forces leave? Likely, we'll see a rapid growth of
S2: ISIS in Syria and Iraq and possibly even Jordan, with
S2: Sunni Muslims turning to ISIS in their ongoing conflict against
S2: the Shiites and Alawites. And Iran will increase its support
S2: for its allies in the region. Now, if we're not careful,
S2: we could see a resurgence of ISIS in large swaths
S2: of Syria and Iraq, similar to the Taliban returning to
S2: power in Afghanistan when we pulled out, along with greater
S2: Iranian influence in that same area. Now, the US could
S2: find itself embroiled in a conflict with both groups. And
S2: that's something President Biden wants to avoid as he heads
S2: into this presidential election campaign.
S1: How much of a grasp do you think US foreign
S1: policy makers have on what you've just shared?
S2: I think they understand where these forces are, who they are.
S2: What they don't understand is what drives them religiously. They
S2: still think in terms of of politics or economics, but
S2: this is a religious conflict, and that's what keeps it
S2: going for so long.
S1: The outpouring of aid from Christians to Israel following the
S1: October 7th Hamas attack has been remarkable, though some in
S1: Israel are concerned that the aid comes with missionary strings attached.
S1: What do they mean, and how should we respond?
S2: Well, the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jews especially, are very sensitive
S2: to missionary activity because of past activity where the church
S2: tried to force conversion on the Jews. More gentle approaches
S2: were soon followed by threats, intimidation, even physical violence, and
S2: that makes them nervous. Several news articles appeared, raising questions
S2: about the motives of the different Christian groups offering aid.
S2: I was really excited to see The Jerusalem Post run
S2: a response article from a messianic Jew. As he said
S2: in the article, faith comes from one's heart. It can't
S2: be purchased through bribes. And while acknowledging the concerns, he
S2: also made it clear that there are no strings attached
S2: to the aid he and his organization have been providing.
S2: He shares his faith with those who are interested, as
S2: is his right. But he doesn't force his faith on others,
S2: nor is it a requirement for them to receive help.
S2: That's a good approach now, in terms of what Christians
S2: have been doing. Samaritan's purse donated 14 ambulances to replace
S2: the ones destroyed by Hamas. Each ambulance was named from again,
S2: David Adom medic killed in the conflict. They've also ordered
S2: an additional seven. Armoured ambulances that should arrive later in
S2: the spring. Another Christian organization called passages donated a half
S2: million dollars to help two of the devastated communities. I
S2: talked with Tom Doyle from Uncharted Ministries. They were able
S2: to donate funds to purchase an ambulance as well as
S2: an ambush cycle, a medically equipped motor scooter. The bottom
S2: line we do hope that our love will bring individuals
S2: to accept the forgiveness offered by Jesus, but are these
S2: Christian groups attaching strings to their gifts? Absolutely not. They're
S2: motivated by love for the Jewish people, and that's the
S2: way it should be.
S1: And that's a look at current events. Boy, have we
S1: got a conversation for you. A girl from Iran finds
S1: Jesus as savior. You've got to stick around for that
S1: and tell a friend about this program. Will you let
S1: them know about our website as well? Our podcast is
S1: there at the Land and the book.org. How does a
S1: girl born into a militantly Muslim nation like Iran find
S1: Christ as Savior? How is she received by her family,
S1: her culture? What is that journey like? You're about to
S1: find out. Welcome back to the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gauger, and before we embark on what I
S1: promise is a truly epic story, let's pause for just
S1: a moment and let's give some thought to how we
S1: can share Jesus creatively with a muslim friend that we
S1: might know at work or in our neighborhood. Well, the
S1: moment has finally come. You have. You have developed this
S1: friendship with your Muslim friend and you're having them over
S1: for dinner. What do you serve or not serve? With
S1: a question about menus, here's Stefano Ferrer with call of Hope. Us.
S3: Well, I would always serve what I like. You know,
S3: I would serve them what I really think is a
S3: very good dinner. But I would not go for pork schnitzel,
S3: that's for sure. You know, I mean, just don't do that.
S3: Just avoid pork. Uh, just avoid things. You know, they
S3: don't eat anything.
S1: Other than pork. That's in a major. No, no.
S3: Well, everything, you know, liver, uh, all these things, even
S3: if it is beef or so. I would never go
S3: for that. Okay, uh, try it with fish. Try it
S3: with chicken. Then they also know it's not pork.
S1: All right, so maybe chicken and fish are the safest.
S3: Absolutely.
S1: Okay, that's what's on the menu for your dinner with
S1: that Muslim friend. Call of hopes. Stefano Fair joins us
S1: here on the land and the book. Always very practical.
S1: Thank you. Marzia ambassador is an Iranian American whose testimony
S1: you need to hear. She's an author, public speaker, an
S1: activist for religious freedom. For more than a decade, she's
S1: traveled throughout the country and around the world to bring
S1: awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of
S1: women and religious minorities in Iran. For some time now,
S1: we've been looking forward to this conversation based on her book,
S1: A Love Journey with God. And that said, we want
S1: to welcome you to the land and the book. Marzia.
S4: Thank you so much for having me on your program.
S4: It's an honor for me to share my story with
S4: your audience. Um, but about my story, how I found
S4: Jesus in in a very close country, the, um, ruling
S4: by terrorists. Yeah. It started from my childhood that I
S4: was seeking the Lord, and I wanted to know the truth.
S4: Because in a country like Iran that they only teach
S4: about Islamic rules at schools, and we don't have access
S4: to any other religious book, and they are teaching us
S4: to follow the Islamic rules, brainwashed children from a very
S4: young age.
S1: Now I'm confused because the home you grew up in,
S1: you say was not a strict Muslim family. And I
S1: guess I figured that pretty much everybody in Iran was
S1: a very devoted Muslim. Help me with that misconception. I've
S1: got Marzia.
S4: No, that's not the truth. Um, a majority of Iranians
S4: are not radical Muslims. They don't believe in Islamic rules. Um,
S4: you may find Quran in their homes, but, um, none
S4: of them even read those books. And it's just it
S4: starts with brainwashing people with Islamic rules. And I make
S4: a very strict rules that, for example, if you ask
S4: millions of Iranians, they never read Quran because they make
S4: very strict rules in Islam that this book is holy
S4: and it's written in Arabic, which is not our language, Farsi.
S4: So in most of homes you see that book on
S4: the shelves and they don't know what is inside the book.
S4: And because of those strict rules that they create, they
S4: create fear in people not to disobey the Islamic rules.
S4: But most of the families like my family, they are
S4: not devout Muslim. They never practice Islam.
S1: All right. Talk about your siblings and your life at
S1: home as a young girl. What was that like?
S4: My brothers were brainwashed at school by the Islamic rules,
S4: even though we were not practicing Islam at home. But unfortunately,
S4: they were brainwashed, um, that, you know, men always should
S4: control women and they are male dominated because they could see,
S4: you know, their friends around themselves, how they treat their sisters,
S4: their other women, and it affected them as well. That's
S4: why there was a big jealousy at home against me
S4: because of my father loved me so much from my childhood,
S4: and that created jealousy in them against me. And they
S4: mocked me. They bullied me most of the time.
S1: Yeah. Now, this is interesting because eventually you discovered that
S1: your mother was having an affair. Now, how did that
S1: impact your world?
S4: Yes, unfortunately, that's a long story. But my father, you know,
S4: went through lots of difficulties in regarding his job. And
S4: many other things happened that my mom, I discovered that
S4: she had affair, which ended up to. They got divorced
S4: when I was about 18, 19 years old.
S1: Today, on the land of the book, we're talking with
S1: Marzia Amir Azad on the issue of how she came
S1: to faith meeting Jesus in Iran. As a young woman,
S1: you started dating a guy named Ali, but the police
S1: accused him of having a sexual relationship with you. Explain
S1: what happened to him.
S4: Actually, we were engaged and he was studying in another
S4: city at the university. Uh, he was in love with
S4: me and we loved each other. And they arrested him
S4: with other students he was studying in one of the
S4: most religious cities in Iran is the center of ayatollahs.
S4: And they hate students. They hate everyone who is intelligent.
S4: And he got arrested and they charged him with assumption
S4: of he drank wine. And also, you know, at the
S4: same day that he got arrested, we were on the
S4: phone and they forced him to arrange for me to
S4: come to arrest me. And he was just keep saying
S4: that she was my fiance, but they didn't believe him.
S4: And they were thinking that we are boyfriends and girlfriends,
S4: and they wanted him to arrange for me to be
S4: arrested as well. And for a month he was disappeared.
S4: And later we realized that he was tortured brutally and.
S4: Charge him with lies and they gave him 80 lashes,
S4: which was horrible and shocking to me to see his back.
S4: When he returned to the city I was living. And yeah,
S4: I was witness to the brutality of this regime in
S4: many areas in my life.
S1: So people would ask, how in the world in that context,
S1: you've got a fiancée who was beaten half to death,
S1: you've got a home where you are facing friction, a
S1: mother who has an affair, a father who's a wreck.
S1: How did you come to faith in Jesus Christ in Iran?
S4: Praise God! God gave me some kind of discernment from
S4: my childhood that I could not believe what they were
S4: teaching us at schools regarding, you know, God. And I
S4: was so curious and keep asking questions, especially at my
S4: theology classes, because in Islam they teach us that we
S4: have to pray namaz five times a day and just
S4: keep repeating Arabic words. And I had lots of questions
S4: why I have to speak to my God in Arabic
S4: instead of my native language, Farsi, if I talk to
S4: him in Farsi, the God who created this word is
S4: not able to understand me. Why should I bend in
S4: front of him? Why should I cover myself whenever I
S4: wanted to talk to him? Why at specific times I'm
S4: allowed to talk to him? As a child, I could
S4: understand that there are lies in Islam and I couldn't
S4: accept it. But my questions made them mad at me
S4: by asking these questions, and they told me if I
S4: want God to be satisfied with me, I need to
S4: follow the Islamic rules. That's why I couldn't accept that
S4: definition of God in Islam, which is all about punishment,
S4: not about love. And then I got curious and I
S4: started reading Quran and praying namaz. It was just for
S4: finding the truth. But after a while I got exhausted
S4: and I got frustrated because they couldn't see any truth
S4: in this. And it was just keep repeating religious Islamic
S4: religious rules. And it started with a dream that I
S4: shared in my book that God, for the first time,
S4: revealed his love and the true face of Islam to me.
S4: And in that dream, it was about a white horse
S4: at the age of 17.
S5: Wait wait wait wait.
S1: You're you're 17 years old and you're having a dream
S1: about a white horse.
S4: Yes.
S1: Okay. This is unusual for Americans, but many have been
S1: made aware that in Islamic countries, God does use dreams
S1: and visions. Yours was of a white horse. Go on,
S1: I've interrupted you.
S4: Yes I had. It wasn't just that dream. I had
S4: many dreams. And there are other Muslim people who came
S4: to Christ through dreams and visions. And I always tell people,
S4: some Americans here asked me why we don't have that
S4: kind of dreams and visions. And I tell them, hey,
S4: just look, in a country like Iran, you can't find
S4: Bibles in any bookstores. There is no churches. So no
S4: one can stop God from approaching people. And in such
S4: a conflict, God revealed the truth to those who are
S4: thirsty through their visions and dreams. But in America, we
S4: have lots of churches. You can find Bibles anywhere. Yes.
S4: So that makes sense to me. Why God approach people
S4: through dreams and visions in countries like Iran.
S1: But Marzia, there's a big gap, though, between a white
S1: horse and knowing Jesus as the Savior, receiving him, acknowledging
S1: you're a sinner, believing he died on the cross for
S1: your sins. How did you get to that point? What
S1: was that moment like?
S4: Yeah, it was a journey to me because after that,
S4: a few years, it was after that that one of
S4: my friends who has converted to Christianity, and I didn't
S4: know that she shared her faith with me. She shared
S4: about Jesus that he died on the cross for our sin.
S4: And imagine, I got very curious because it was the
S4: first time I could hear that Jesus is the Son
S4: of God. Because I believed at school, they taught us
S4: that Jesus is only a prophet. And that's why I
S4: got curious. And I got Bible, and I started reading
S4: and reading and learning about Christianity, learning about Jesus, which
S4: opened my eyes to many truths. But still, you know,
S4: I had doubts. I wasn't sure if Jesus is the
S4: truth or not. That's why I started praying. And I
S4: ask God, please reveal to me if Jesus is the truth.
S4: You must show me. You must prove it to me
S4: because I don't want to be misguided in this world
S4: that we have lots of religions, lots of faith. And
S4: then after that simple prayer, other miracles started happening. I
S4: had other visions, other dreams that I. Is shared in
S4: my book. A Love Journey with God. At that time
S4: that I heard about Jesus, there was just one assembly
S4: of God church, but that Muslim people, people from Muslim
S4: background could attend in that church because it was during
S4: moderate presidents. But honestly, they just wanted to show they
S4: give more freedoms to people, which was a lie. They
S4: had their intelligence office right in front of the church
S4: and they forced pastors. Later, I understood they forced pastors
S4: to give the names of the Muslims who were coming
S4: to their church because it was the first church, Armenian church,
S4: that the pastors would speak in Farsi, they forbid. And
S4: for Armenians and Assyrians who born as a Christians to
S4: preach in Farsi. But that church decided to preach in Farsi.
S4: That's why that attracted more Muslims to come to that church.
S4: But the government forced them to give the names that
S4: are coming. So we could not go to that church
S4: every weekend, maybe, you know, every couple of months you
S4: could attend that church. But my first experience attending in
S4: that church was amazing, because I could see that people
S4: were worshiping God in their own language, Farsi instead of,
S4: you know, keep repeating nonsense Arabic words. And it was
S4: in that church that I had the experience of healing.
S4: And as I mentioned, I could not go to that church.
S4: And after a few years, they even closed that church.
S4: And there is no building church in Iran that people
S4: can attend. There are only underground home churches.
S1: So let me take you to the actual moment when
S1: you receive Jesus. You've had a series of dreams. You've
S1: been to a church. At what point did you finally say,
S1: I now know Jesus as Savior? What was that moment
S1: for you?
S4: Honestly, after receiving all those dreams and visions, after experiencing
S4: healing by Jesus, all those things, I started believing in
S4: Jesus that Jesus is the truth. But still, you know,
S4: by reading Bible I had many questions and about the
S4: Holy Spirit I could not understand it. And that's why
S4: I asked God to show me the whole truth. And
S4: I told him, I don't want to have any doubts
S4: about Jesus. And I remember the day that really changed
S4: my life forever was the day that I was alone
S4: at my home, and I was just praying to God.
S4: And suddenly the power of God was so strong on
S4: me and I couldn't stop it. And it was early
S4: in the morning, after hours of worshiping him and seeing him,
S4: that my mouth stopped worshiping. And after that I repented
S4: because of my doubts. And I told him that you
S4: are my Savior, and I promised to follow him for
S4: the rest of my life.
S1: And that has taken you on a remarkable journey. We're
S1: going to get into that and more. In another conversation
S1: with Marzia Ameerah Zaidi here on the land and the book.
S1: Thank you for your time. We're looking forward to part
S1: two in a future broadcast. Questions and answers from the Bible. Yep,
S1: that's all coming up next on the land and the book.
S1: We've got an appointment, you and I, an appointment with
S1: our host, Charlie Dyer, who's going to answer the questions
S1: that many of us are wondering about. I say many,
S1: because when somebody emails a question to us, there are
S1: 4 or 5 or maybe 4 or 500 who wondered
S1: the same thing. At least that's how it goes for
S1: me when I hear these questions. Charlie, your Bible is open.
S1: I see that smile on your face. You look pumped
S1: and ready to go.
S2: I'm ready. John, I love questions.
S1: Let's start with Andres, he says. Could you give us
S1: a couple suggestions for a Bible atlas? Our family doesn't
S1: have one and you probably have a few suggestions in mind.
S2: Yeah, I actually have three. I can suggest that they're
S2: actually all on my shelf just above my desk, within
S2: easy reach. The first is the Moody Bible Atlas by
S2: Barry Biswal by Teasdale. Now I understand the new editions
S2: being developed, but the current edition, which is the one
S2: I use, is very helpful. The second recommendation is called
S2: the Zondervan Atlas of the Bible. There was an earlier
S2: edition called the NIV Atlas of the Bible, and either
S2: one of those is good. There they were by Carl Rasmussen.
S2: It's very helpful. Now, the third atlas is more compact
S2: and it's far less expensive. It's by Karl Laney and
S2: it's called the Concise Bible Atlas. It's a paperback edition
S2: and I find it very helpful, but you can find
S2: information on all three on Amazon.
S1: All right. Here's a question from Dorothy in Revelation chapter two.
S1: The phrase return to your first love always makes me
S1: wonder whether or not I love Jesus enough. Maybe it's
S1: because it's so difficult to measure love. So what would
S1: you say is a good understanding of this phrase? What
S1: does Jesus really want from his church and from me?
S1: I think the.
S2: Key there is understanding what's been happening historically in that
S2: church in Ephesus. You know, in acts 21, Paul met
S2: with the elders of that church, and he told them
S2: it was an impending time of doctrinal error coming. In fact,
S2: he said, people are going to come and distort truth
S2: in order to draw away disciples after them. So be
S2: on your guard. Well, later, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus
S2: to deal with some of those very issues. In fact,
S2: he says in first Timothy one three, as I urged
S2: you when I went to Macedonia, stay in Ephesus, that
S2: you may command certain men not to teach false doctrine
S2: any longer. Well, apparently Timothy was able to get the
S2: church turned around doctrinally. And that's why in revelation two,
S2: the commendation of the church is that they have worked hard,
S2: they've persevered, they've been unwilling to tolerate false teachers. Now
S2: all that's important and understanding what Jesus was then saying
S2: and what he said next. The church had become so
S2: focused on being right theologically that they'd stopped focusing on
S2: why they were to be right. They were doctrinally sound,
S2: but they had abandoned the love relationship with Jesus that
S2: had prompted them to want to know him better and
S2: to please him in the first place. So we all
S2: need to work on loving Jesus more. But the problem
S2: in Ephesus is they were so focused on being right
S2: that it had become more important than their relationship with Jesus.
S2: And it goes back to the two great command stressed
S2: by Jesus. Love the Lord your God. Love your neighbor
S2: as yourself. Jesus wanted the church in Ephesus to remain
S2: doctrinally sound, but also to focus on the love for him.
S2: That prompted them to be faithful.
S1: Here's a follow up then. What are some practical ways
S1: to grow in real love toward Jesus? How can we
S1: understand and experience his love for us even more?
S2: Well, you know, I answer this kind of in a
S2: practical sense. How do you fall in love with someone
S2: here on earth, another human being, you know, a family member,
S2: a friend, or even that special someone that we want
S2: to spend our lives with? What is it that helps
S2: us find a deep love in our heart for them? Well,
S2: we spend time together. We talk and listen to each other.
S2: We send texts or emails, or the old romantics might
S2: even write letters to each other. But as we share
S2: our lives together, the good times and the struggles, we
S2: find ourselves caring and loving for that person even more deeply.
S2: And I think that's what happens when it comes to Jesus.
S2: You know, he's written to us in the Bible. That's
S2: his his love letters to us, if you will, and
S2: what pleases him is for us to read what he's
S2: written to us. He also wants to hear from us.
S2: We can talk to him, and we do that in prayer.
S2: We can share our desires and our fears and our
S2: hopes and our dreams, and we can spend time with
S2: others in his family at church. You know, he said,
S2: where 2 or 3 are gathered, he's there in their midst.
S2: And finally, even in the midst of the struggles of life,
S2: he uses them to help draw us closer to him
S2: as we discover the truth of promises like Isaiah 43,
S2: when you pass through the waters, I'll be with you.
S2: And when you pass through the rivers, they will not
S2: sweep over you. Don't be afraid, for I am with you.
S2: A relationship like that takes time to develop, but the
S2: more time we spend reading the Bible, praying, joining with
S2: others in worship, and then watching Jesus work in our
S2: life day by day, I think the more that happens,
S2: the more we fall in love with him.
S1: Sharon takes us to job chapter one, where it seems
S1: as if God cares what Satan and the demons think
S1: about God. She asks, why does God care about what
S1: Satan thinks of him? Also in job two verse three,
S1: God says Satan incited him against job. She says, I
S1: looked up the Hebrew definition and it reads to stimulate, entice, move, provoke.
S1: I'm lost. As to what this means. It sounds like
S1: Satan is moving God in a certain direction. Your thoughts?
S2: Yeah. I don't believe in the book that it's saying
S2: God cares what Satan or the demons think about him,
S2: as if his he's looking at his own reputation in
S2: chapter two verse three where God says, you incited me
S2: against him. I think the idea is provoked or instigated,
S2: and it's probably the better English word there. I think
S2: Satan was trying to push God into doing something that
S2: Satan was convinced would prove God to be wrong. And
S2: though it wasn't God who brought the calamity on job,
S2: it was Satan. Yet God permitted Jobe to be harmed
S2: financially and emotionally and physically. To demonstrate to Satan that
S2: Jobe worshiped God because of who God was, not because
S2: of what God gave to Jobe. Satan was trying to
S2: move God in a certain direction. I think like a
S2: chess master, he was trying to get God in checkmate
S2: by having Jobe finally turn and curse God and Job's
S2: answer to his friends. You know, in 1315, I think
S2: that had to be a sour note with Satan. Jobe,
S2: who thought God was punishing him, says, though he slay me,
S2: I will hope in him even though he was convinced
S2: God was punishing him. In a case of mistaken identity,
S2: Jobe still refused to turn against God. And I think
S2: really the key is, is God worthy of being worshiped
S2: apart from what happens in our life. And God shows
S2: that Jobe indeed worshiped him in that sense.
S1: From the Old Testament to the new. Todd asks, what
S1: does it mean to pray in the spirit? In Ephesians
S1: six verse 18.
S2: Well, you know, the larger context there is wearing God's
S2: armor as we engage in spiritual battle with Satan, and
S2: the goal is to be able to stand against Satan's
S2: spiritual onslaught. I see the sword of the spirit and
S2: praying in the spirit in that section. Being parallel. The
S2: Bible and prayer are the two offensive weapons we have
S2: against Satan, and both carry the full authority and power
S2: of God's Spirit. Now, that doesn't fully explain what it
S2: means to pray in the spirit. I think some other
S2: passages can help. One is Jude 20, where Jude calls
S2: on his readers to pray in the Holy Spirit, and
S2: I don't think he's calling on him to speak in tongues,
S2: which is what some might suggest. I think he's telling
S2: them to pray from a heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
S2: The Holy Spirit prompts us to pray and then prays
S2: along with us. And that leads to the second passage,
S2: which is Romans 826 and 27, which talks about the
S2: Holy Spirit praying along with us and interceding with God
S2: on our behalf. So I think the idea is that
S2: praying in the Holy Spirit is praying under the Holy
S2: Spirit's control and guidance as he prompts us to pray.
S2: And then, realizing the Holy Spirit prays along with us
S2: to guarantee that what we're asking is being presented before
S2: God the Father in a way that will make it effective.
S2: It's praying in his power and under his guidance.
S1: We've got a couple of more questions about Joe from
S1: another listener. We'll see what we can get in to
S1: today's segment, Jobe 610 says. But it is still my consolation,
S1: and I rejoice in unsparing pain that I have not
S1: denied the words of the Holy One to what does
S1: it refer at the beginning of the verse as it
S1: is grief and calamity from verse two? Or could it
S1: refer to job's desire that God would crush him in
S1: verse nine?
S2: Yeah, I think that it. And it's in a new
S2: American Standard version of job 610 actually refers to the
S2: last phrase of the verse. That is, his consolation through
S2: all the struggle is that he had not denied the
S2: words of the Holy One. Jobe had an abandoned or
S2: rejected God's word or commands concerning what's right and wrong.
S2: It's another way for Jobe to declare his innocence. In
S2: verses eight and nine, Jobe wish that God would take
S2: his life and end his suffering. The difficulty I see
S2: in verse ten is that word. But at the very
S2: beginning it's actually a Hebrew letter, vav, which is normally translated.
S2: And however it's a simple conjunction can be translated several
S2: different ways. And in this case, I think the NIV
S2: might actually provide a better understanding of the way the
S2: that Vav should be translated. They translate it as then.
S2: Then I would still have this consolation, my joy and
S2: unrelenting pain that I had not denied the words of
S2: the Holy One. They translate that word. There is then,
S2: and then they bracket the second line to show it's
S2: expressing essentially the same thought as the first. They then
S2: have the third line finish the thought. So job's consolation
S2: job's joy was knowing that he had died without denying
S2: or turning against God's word.
S1: All right, one last job question how or why was
S1: job so special and so close to God? Does the
S1: book of Job ever mentioned the Holy Spirit coming on job?
S2: Yeah. We don't know what made job so special. You know,
S2: it's possible he was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but
S2: there's nothing in the book that suggests that's the case.
S2: And prior to the start of the Church Age, the
S2: indwelling of the Holy Spirit was temporary, is usually given
S2: by God to accomplish specific tasks, like the wisdom to
S2: reign as king. If job was just a, quote, normal believer,
S2: then his faith is all the more remarkable. The description
S2: of him in one one is a man who was
S2: blameless and upright, who feared God, who turned away from evil.
S2: And that's absolutely amazing. You know, we would all like
S2: that to be a description of our own lives, and
S2: we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. I believe it's
S2: simply telling us that Jobe was one of the most
S2: remarkable and godly men who has ever lived.
S1: You've got a question. I bet as you peruse the
S1: pages of Scripture in your own personal Bible study, what
S1: do you do with that question? Our recommendation? Email it
S1: to Charlie. Here's how you connect the land and the
S1: book@moody.edu the land and the book@moody.edu. One last question for you.
S1: As you listen, are you taking advantage of our podcast?
S1: It's available at our website, the land and the book.
S1: Org and it's a great way to share this ministry
S1: with a friend who doesn't live anywhere near a radio
S1: station that carries the program. So check out the podcast
S1: at our website. It's the land and the book, dawg.
S1: Charlie Dyer's devotional is next. Stick around for more. Like
S1: any language, the English language is filled with fascinating expressions, sayings,
S1: bits of wisdom, tidbits, things that get passed down from
S1: generation to generation, among those the curious slogan or expression
S1: close but no cigar. Hi, I'm John Geiger, you're listening
S1: to The Land and the book and Charlie that is
S1: somehow connected to your devotional today.
S2: It's a vital part of my devotional. Okay.
S1: I'm looking forward to seeing how you connect all that
S1: after we enjoy this testimony from an Israel traveler who
S1: has this impression for you and me.
S6: Hi, I'm Kathleen and I have just thoroughly enjoyed this trip.
S6: It has been just wonderful and in our home church
S6: we enjoy worship, but I have not experienced worship like
S6: I did on the Sea of Galilee. It was just
S6: a closeness to the Lord that I never would have
S6: believed possible. And I thank you for that.
S7: This has been a wonderful experience and I don't think
S7: I'll ever read scripture in the same way again, because
S7: by being on this tour and with this group and
S7: with Charlie leading us, it's a wonderful experience to be
S7: standing in the places, opening up the scripture, having Charlie
S7: read us the scripture, and then his explanation of the
S7: scripture to just really make it come alive and become
S7: more real than just reading some words on a page
S7: of a book. And so it is really helped me
S7: to connect the land and the book.
S1: Close, but no cigar. I guess we're going to Isaiah
S1: chapter ten. Charlie, you are amazing. I'm looking forward to
S1: seeing how you connect all this. Yeah, a.
S2: Few mental gymnastics as we get here. But it starts
S2: by growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania. You know, back then,
S2: summer was a series of festivals and carnivals. Each small
S2: town seemed to have a week long event sponsored by
S2: the local volunteer fire department, with rides, concession stands and
S2: carnival booths where you could try your skill to win
S2: a prize. But the mother of all gatherings, at least
S2: in our area, was the Bloomsburg Fair in late September.
S2: Yet where else could a high school students see the
S2: world's tallest man, ride the different rides, sample all the
S2: latest gastronomical treats, and watch some fancy shows and performances.
S2: You know, that was just an amazing time, but one
S2: of my favorite pastimes was trying out my skill at
S2: the different games that lined the midway. I guess I
S2: was too naive to realize that most of them were
S2: rigged though. One time I actually won a box of
S2: candy bars, adding up all the money I spent on
S2: the midway in those years, I probably ended up with
S2: the most expensive box of chocolates I ever bought, but
S2: I did learn an interesting expression while playing those games,
S2: as the wooden ring I tossed would slip off the
S2: stand holding the prize I was trying to corral. The
S2: carny would smile and say, tough luck, kid. Close, but
S2: no cigar. I didn't smoke. I had no desire to
S2: win a cigar, but I learned what that expression meant.
S2: It came from earlier days at carnivals when the prize
S2: is being offered were often cigars, and the carny was
S2: saying the customer was very close to winning, but had
S2: just missed the mark. There was no reward for the effort,
S2: but if he wanted to pay and try again, well,
S2: that was always an option. So what does that old
S2: memory from the fair have to do with today's devotional? Well,
S2: I want to take you to the northern edge of Jerusalem,
S2: where God said, in effect, to the king of Assyria, close,
S2: but no cigar. So follow me out onto the balcony
S2: of the Dan Jerusalem Hotel on Mount Scopus. The balcony
S2: is a great place to look out over Jerusalem to
S2: our left is the Mount of Olives, and just behind
S2: us is Hebrew University. The hotel and Hebrew University are
S2: located on Mount Scopus, but Mount Scopus is really just
S2: the northern extension of the Mount of Olives. In front
S2: of us, just about a mile away, you can spot
S2: the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock, with its
S2: golden dome shimmering in the afternoon sun. In Old Testament times,
S2: we would be standing in an area where the village
S2: of Nov or Nob was located. In first Samuel 21.
S2: David stopped at Nob when fleeing from Saul and received
S2: consecrated bread from a group of priests who were living there.
S2: But I want us to go forward in history another
S2: 300 years to the time of King Hezekiah, because Nob
S2: makes another appearance in the Bible. At that time, Hezekiah
S2: had rebelled against Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and the Assyrians
S2: were now on the march to put down that rebellion.
S2: Sennacherib had a brilliant master plan for attack. He divided
S2: his army into two segments to catch Jerusalem in a
S2: pincer movement. Part of his army moved south into the shallow,
S2: the low foothills southwest of Jerusalem. There they attack the
S2: key cities of Judah like Lachish and Zaka. This blocked
S2: the avenue of escape south from Jerusalem, and it also
S2: stopped the Egyptians from being able to march north to
S2: rescue Hezekiah. This plan of attack is found in the
S2: cities described in Micah one and in second Kings 18
S2: and Isaiah 36. But the second prong of Sennacherib's army
S2: marched down the center of the country toward Jerusalem from
S2: the north, sweeping up all the small towns in its
S2: path while blocking Jerusalem's way of escape in that direction.
S2: The list of towns taken by the Assyrians is described
S2: in Isaiah 1028 to 32, and the list is a
S2: who's who of towns north of Jerusalem. Let's follow a
S2: serious plan of attack as that prong of the army
S2: head south. The first town listed is Arthur Ayotte, which
S2: is another name for I or I, the town first
S2: captured by Joshua following his destruction of Jericho. Passing through Migron,
S2: they stop at mishmash, which is where they set up
S2: as a supply depot. Now this was once the base
S2: of operation for King Saul, which was later captured by
S2: the Philistines, only to be recaptured in a daring attack
S2: by Jonathan and his armor bearer. Both towns are just
S2: over five miles north of Jerusalem, crossing over the pass,
S2: a strategic crossing point I talked about a few months ago.
S2: The Assyrian army paused to set up Camp Agaba immediately
S2: to the south. Isaiah then notes that Rama trembled. Well,
S2: that makes perfect sense, because just two miles west, along
S2: the main road from Jaba, was the strategic crossing point
S2: of Rama. Rama guarded the front door to Jerusalem. The
S2: main North-South road in and out of Jerusalem passed through Rama,
S2: and so did the main East-West road that stretched from
S2: the international highway down by the coast, all the way
S2: over to Jericho, the Jordan Valley, and ultimately the. Kings
S2: Highway in the hills of modern Jordan. Capturing Rama effectively
S2: locked the door on anyone from Jerusalem, escaping to the north,
S2: west or east. About a century after David and almost
S2: 200 years before Hezekiah, Basha, King of Israel, fortified Rama
S2: in his war against King Asa of Judah, and the
S2: action so frightened Asa that he made a treaty with
S2: the king of Syria to get him to attack Israel,
S2: to force Basha to abandon his plans. But now the
S2: king of Assyria has finished what Basha had started. The
S2: bars on the door slammed shut. But Sennacherib isn't finished.
S2: Two miles south is the town of Gibeah, the capital
S2: of Israel, during the time of King Saul. But now
S2: Gibeah of Saul flees. The people abandon the town in panic,
S2: running toward Jerusalem. Several other small villages nearby quickly empty
S2: of their inhabitants, including the inhabitants of Anatolia. Now, if
S2: that sounds familiar, that was the city assigned to the
S2: priests and later became the hometown of Jeremiah the prophet.
S2: It's less than two miles east of Gibeah and less
S2: than two miles from where we're now standing. And that
S2: leads us to this hotel balcony near the site of
S2: ancient Nob. Isaiah writes, this day they will hold it Nob.
S2: They will shake their fist at the mount of the
S2: daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem, just a
S2: mile away from Jerusalem, the Temple of Solomon clearly visible
S2: in the distance. But all Kingston Jacob can do is
S2: shake his fist at Jerusalem, as God promised to Hezekiah
S2: through Isaiah, the king of Assyria will not enter this
S2: city or shoot an arrow here. By the way that
S2: he came, he will return. He will not enter this city.
S2: Or as one of the carnival barkers might say, close,
S2: but no cigar. So what happened? The Bible gives the answer.
S2: The angel of the Lord went out and put to
S2: death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When the people
S2: got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies.
S2: So Sennacherib, king of Assyria, broke camp and withdrew. With
S2: victory seemingly in sight, God stepped in to knock the
S2: wooden ring off the peg and force King Sennacherib to
S2: head home. So what can we take with us from
S2: this view of Jerusalem at the sight of ancient Nob?
S2: I think the spot's a great reminder that God is
S2: in complete control in spite of our circumstances. No matter
S2: what's happening in your life, no matter how great the
S2: problems you're facing, no matter how insurmountable the odds might seem,
S2: God is still in control. Satan and his allies can
S2: appear to be close to victory, but in the end
S2: they will not win. Close, but no cigar. Just remember,
S2: no matter how strong the foe may appear, don't give up.
S1: Look up. Hmm. That is just great, Charlie. And I'm
S1: guessing there are a whole lot of people that found
S1: that encouraging, as I did appreciate you digging into that story. Close,
S1: but no cigar. It's available to listen to again at
S1: our website. The land and the book.org. You'll find information
S1: about today's guest, past programs, and more. The land and
S1: the book.org. Our time is gone, but we want to
S1: thank you for making time for the land and the book,
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.